Spoons is a fast-paced card game where players race to grab a spoon from the table.
Here we show you how to play Spoons in just a few simple steps.
- Object of spoons
- Setting up the game
- Playing the game
- Winning (and losing) Spoons
- Optional rules
- History of the game
- Frequently asked questions
| Number of players | 2 to 13 |
| Game length | 25 minutes |
| Game difficulty | Easy |
| What you need to play | A standard deck of playing cards, several spoons, and some tokens. |
If you enjoy Spoons, check out this list of the top games to play with a deck of cards.
Object of Spoons
The goal of Spoons is to collect a set of four cards of the same rank (for example all 4 Kings), or otherwise, to not be the last player to grab a spoon each round.
Setting up the game
- Shuffle all of the cards and deal four face down to each player.
- The remaining cards are placed in a face down pile to the right of the first player.
- Place spoons in the centre of the table or playing area, one fewer than the number of players.
Playing the game
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The first player takes a card from the top of the face down deck and adds it to their hand.
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The first player then removes one card from their hand and passes it to the player on their left.
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Each other player then picks up the card passed to them from the player on their right before removing a card and passing it to the player on their left.
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The final player does not pass their discarded card to the first play but instead places it in a discard pile.
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The cycle of picking up and passing/discarding continues until a player has all four cards of the same rank in their hand.
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This player (and any other player who also has a complete set of cards of the same rank) grabs a spoon from the centre of the table or playing area.
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As soon as a spoon is grabbed, the other players quickly try to grab the remaining spoons. Any player left without a spoon receives one token.
Winning (and losing) Spoons
- When a player accumulates five tokens, they are out of the game.
- The last player remaining without five tokens wins the game!
Optional Rules
- To increase excitement, players can pretend to grab a spoon even if they don’t have a complete set of four cards. They aim to trick other players into grabbing spoons, which causes them to gain a letter. Be careful, though! If another player does have a complete set, the player pretending to grab a spoon will gain a token instead.
- For a more relaxed gameplay experience, instead of physically grabbing spoons, players can use gestures like touching their noses or perform actions like laying all their cards face down. This variation often leads to hilarious and confusing moments when “pass” is called.
History of the game
Spoons is a variant of the game Donkey and was originally mentioned in the book Hopscotch, Hangman, Hot Potato, and Ha, Ha, Ha: A Rulebook of Children’s Games. Donkey itself is a variant of the card game Pig, which is first described in Culbertson’s Card Games Complete.
Frequently asked questions
If a player mistakenly grabs a spoon when they do not have a matching set of four cards, they are penalized. Depending on house rules, they may be required to take a token.
Yes, you can use other objects instead of spoons, such as pens, pencils, or any small, easily grabbable item. Just make sure they are not too sharp or dangerous to avoid accidents.
There is typically no specific time limit for grabbing a spoon. Often, players end up passing and discarding cards without realizing that a spoon has been grabbed… with hilarious consequences!